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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28468653">All I Get For Christmas is You?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_perfect_melody/pseuds/a_perfect_melody'>a_perfect_melody</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Christmas Fluff, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Humor, Jily Fluff, Romance, Teasing, jily, lawyer!au</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:53:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,035</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28468653</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_perfect_melody/pseuds/a_perfect_melody</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Lily and James, on a last-minute work emergency, find themselves stranded in a hotel at Christmas when their flight gets cancelled. Good thing they've had wine, it's snowing, and they definitely don't fancy each other. Or, in the worlds, cheesy Christmas fluff, plain and simple.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James Potter/Lily Evans Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>All I Get For Christmas is You?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>[disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and accept no credit towards it. I am not J.K. Rowling not am I in any way affiliated with her.]</p><p>Happy, happy, happy New Year! This fic has been in the works for about a week or so now; I really wanted to get some Christmassy fluff up before the end of the year. 2020's been nothing like it should've been and, to everyone who has lost something or someone due to the events of the past year, my heart is with you. Always. Writing this story really helped cheer me up when everything seemed a bit too gloomy and so, I hope it brings a smile to your face too.</p><p> </p><p>Note: this is technically a lawyer!au, although that isn't the prevalent theme in this fic. We all know why we're here, and it isn't to read up on fascinating legal drama! Would like to add that all I know about lawyers is from How to Get Away with Murder and Suits so all this is probably wildly inaccurate!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Celia Freestone stood up, smoothed down her powder blue suit, and extended her hand across the glass table.</p><p>"I believe we have a deal?"</p><p>Lily remained seated, meeting Celia's eyes and glancing back down at the sheaf of papers in front of her.</p><p>"We do," she said finally, rising to shake Celia's hand. With a neat little movement, she picked up her pen and scrawled her signature on the indicated line. Celia followed suit.</p><p>"A pleasure as always, Lily," said Celia, with that fake smile of hers as she reached for her briefcase. "Do have a good Christmas. I'll be thinking of you in the Hamptons."</p><p>"Make sure you trip down the stairs on your way out," Lily called after her, shaking her head.</p><p>"Yes, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" replied Celia over her shoulder. "Nobody to beat you in court then."</p><p>"The audacity," muttered Lily, wishing she'd had the foresight to wear taller heels so she could've towered over Freestone. "I've won more cases than her."</p><p>"Do you want to keep telling yourself that, Evans?" came a voice from the door and Lily turned to see James Potter (unfairly attractive clad in his black suit) leaning in the doorway. "Gosh, jealousy's not a good colour on you." He grinned. "It doesn't match your shoes."</p><p>"Who's side are you on, Potter?" She shot back, reaching to collect her belongings. Momentarily, she paused to admire the view from the floor-length windows: an endless expanse of snow, punctured by grey mountain peaks and the flash of green from an evergreen tree. You didn't get views like that from her London flat.</p><p>"Yours, of course," said James, who had entered the room and was pouring himself a cup of coffee from the sideboard. "But, as your lawyer, isn't it important to keep track of the facts?" He smiled innocently at her.</p><p>"You dick," said Lily, half-laughing. "Should we compare our cases won? Refer to yourself as 'my lawyer' again and I'll remind you about Peterson vs Sanders, shall I?"</p><p>"Now, is that blackmail?" Asked James, clutching at his apparently wounded chest. "I could have you disbarred for that, Evans."</p><p>"And what could you prove?" She called out as she passed him, laughing.</p><p>"It's not about proving anything," said James, following her out into the hall. "Judges love me."</p><p>"Old people love you," Lily corrected, as they headed toward the lifts. "Paralegal Hestia Jones who you split coffee on last week? Not so much."</p><p>"I sent flowers to apologise," said James hotly, pressing the button for the ground floor.</p><p>"She's allergic to pollen," said Lily in a stage whisper. "Hay fever. But they looked great in my office. You've got good taste."</p><p>James looked mortified.</p><p>"Oh God, I'll have to text her. She must think I'm trying to kill her or something."</p><p>"With lukewarm coffee and yellow peonies?" said Lily, stepping into the lift. "Pretty shit murderer, if you ask me."</p><p>"And there you have a wonderful opening statement for your next murder trial."</p><p>"Stop being a smart-arse."</p><p>"Well, they do say we mimic the behaviours of the people we're around."</p><p>"Oh, shut up." said Lily fondly.</p><p>.</p><p>When the lift doors dinged open two minutes later and James and Lily stepped out into the front reception, snow had begun to fall thick and fast outside; everything beyond the driveway ceasing to exist in a flurry of white flakes.</p><p>"They should make snow transportable," said James wistfully, staring out the window like a kid on Christmas Eve. "Then we could smuggle it home. It never snows in London."</p><p>"Thank you for that in-depth analysis on London weather patterns," said Lily but she hurried to join him nonetheless, almost pressing her hands against the glass as if she expected to fall right through to the snow outside. "Would it be childish, do you think, to go make a snow angel?"</p><p>"Probably," agreed James. "I'll do it if you will."</p><p>"Two Hogwarts law graduates and jobs at Minerva Kingsley and here's us acting like year eights," said Lily. "Glad to know all that money we spent on law school wasn't wasted."</p><p>"It was absolutely not," agreed James. "I had a great time at law school."</p><p>"Mmm," said Lily. "Great time studying, of course?"</p><p>"Of course," said James. He sat down on the sofa closest to the window, stretching out his legs. "So, Christmas plans, Evans?"</p><p>"Oh," Lily shrugged noncommittally. "Something or the other, I'm sure."</p><p>James' eyes widened.</p><p>"Something or the other?" He repeated, looking horrified. "Evans, it's Christmas Eve. We'll be back in London in five hours. What do you mean you don't have Christmas plans?"</p><p>"I guess some people aren't as popular as Mr James Potter," said Lily, feigning melodramatic sadness.</p><p>"Well, that's true. We have established that everyone loves me—"</p><p>"Bar Hestia Jones," interjected Lily.</p><p>"Bar Hestia Jones," acknowledged James. "But, seriously, what about your family?"</p><p>Lily shifted in her seat, pretending to fuss for a non-existent lipstick in her bag.</p><p>"It's just me and my sister," she said, in a very false imitation of her own cheerful voice. "Has been for eight years. She lives too far for me to visit."</p><p>"But I thought-"</p><p>"What about you?" She interrupted, before he could persist any further. James and tact did not often go hand in hand and, in trying to find out if you were okay, he could sometimes end up interrogating you instead. "What's the Potters' Christmas Day like?"</p><p>"Me and my parents and my brother," answered James. "We're a small family but you wouldn't know if you saw our house. My dad goes overkill with Christmas lights—the whole works—and my mum puts tinsel up in every room. Two trees and stockings for all of us."</p><p>"Sounds lovely," said Lily wistfully, remembering her childhood Christmases which had been much the same. "Is that where you're going tomorrow?"</p><p>"Sirius and his boyfriend are picking me up at the airport," said James. "First time there'll be five of us which will make charades a nightmare. How are we going to divide the teams?" He slapped a hand to his mouth in mock-horror and grinned.</p><p>"Well, if you're as clever as you claim to be, Potter, I should think you'll be able to be on a team all by yourself," Lily teased, adding, "I want a picture of this famous Potter Christmas house please." A thought occurred to her; she frowned and checked her phone. "Shouldn't the taxi be here by now?"</p><p>James peered out of the window, squinting at the gravel driveway through the thick snow now pouring from the heavens.</p><p>"I can't see anything," he said, offering a hand to help her up. "Let's go ask the front desk."</p><p>.</p><p>The short answer was: Christmas was cancelled. Well, not exactly. Their flight had been cancelled due to the snowstorm and they weren't expected to be able to book another until Boxing Day. The long answer was something very complicated about plane mechanics and French weather patterns which Lily was too tired to understand.</p><p>After a full day's negotiating with Celia bloody Freestone of all people, Lily couldn't deny she'd been looking forward to crashing in her own bed. And, having been attempting to ignore in her chest every time she checked her phone and Petunia still hadn't called, Lily had even more reason to want to forget this Christmas season had ever happened. All that had been keeping her going was the promise of a warm duvet, leftover mince pies, and watching Bake Off reruns until she fell asleep.</p><p>Biting her lip, she thought of James. He had a family Christmas planned, something happy and whole, and something which Lily definitely did not want to get in the way of. He'd worked so hard with her on this trip, despite it being Christmas Eve and him clearly missing his family and now, for reasons Lily couldn't understand, he was now being forced to spend his holiday stuck in the middle of France, with a miserable Lily as his companion. What a raw deal.</p><p>She glanced over at him now, talking away on the phone to his brother, explaining the situation and gave him a faint, apologetic smile. He gave her a thumbs up, mimed "one minute," and turned away for better reception. Pulling out her own phone and checking she was still connected to the hotel WiFi, she called Minerva McGonagall, who answered on the first ring.</p><p>"Hello, Lily. I trust everything went according to plan."</p><p>"Yeah," said Lily, adjusting her bag strap. "Yeah, we've got everything signed and documented. You can tell Molly and Arthur Weasley they'll be receiving their settlement money very soon."</p><p>"Well, that's wonderful," said Minerva and, unless Lily was much mistaken, there was a hint of pride in her voice. "You and Mr Potter have done a brilliant job. You should work together more often."</p><p>They could, Lily mused, but then she would spend far too much time being distracted by his shoulders.</p><p>"When you arrive back, if you would drop the papers off at the office as soon as," said Minerva. "The sooner Arthur and Molly get the money they're entitled to, the better, as far as I'm concerned."</p><p>"Absolutely," said Lily. "The only thing is, our flight's been, um, cancelled?"</p><p>"Well, I don't know why you're asking me that," said Minerva crisply. "Either it has or it hasn't, Miss Evans."</p><p>"It has," said Lily, wincing. "I'm so, so sorry but we can get a flight on Boxing Day-"</p><p>"No need to worry, Lily," said Minerva and Lily heaved a silent sigh of relief. "Brilliant as you are, even you can't control the weather. Book some rooms and the firm will cover your expense when you get back. Oh, and Lily?"</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>"You and James have a merry Christmas, won't you?"</p><p>"Yes, we'll try," said Lily, smiling. "You too."</p><p>She hung up. Next, and here she dreaded the response, she called her best friend.</p><p>"Stuck in France," said Marlene the moment Lily had explained.</p><p>"Yep," said Lily.</p><p>"Till Boxing Day?"</p><p>"Yep."</p><p>"With James; the objectively fit, charming bloke from your office?"</p><p>"Yep."</p><p>"Ah."</p><p>Marlene went quiet.</p><p>"I see," she said, after a pause. "And has Hallmark hired you to do next year's Christmas movie too?"</p><p>"Ha ha, very funny," said Lily, moving further out of earshot of James, just in case.</p><p>"Next you'll be telling me there's only one room left and you have to share," said Marlene, who was doing a very bad job of smothering her laughter on the other end of the line.</p><p>"God, I hope not," Lily said. "I wouldn't sleep."</p><p>Marlene shrieked down the phone.</p><p>"Not like that!" Lily yelped. "I just meant that it would be too awkward. You can't sleep in the same bed as your co-worker and then go back to sidestepping each other for the coffee pot. It wouldn't work."</p><p>As much as she might like it to.</p><p>"What wouldn't work?" Asked James, appearing over her shoulder.</p><p>Lily squeaked.</p><p>"Nothing," she said hastily, trying to shush Marlene, who was laughing. "Sorry, I'll- just be a moment."</p><p>She escaped from him over to the opposite side of the lobby, collapsing into a chair by the fire.</p><p>"Don't come back pregnant," said Marlene.</p><p>"Marley," Lily hissed.</p><p>"You know, I think this might be a good thing," said Marlene. "Seriously, Lily! What were you going to do at Christmas anyway?"</p><p>Lily mumbled something incomprehensible.</p><p>"Exactly. And with me away in Sydney for my apprenticeship and Alice and Frank on their honeymoon and your sister being who she is, isn't it better you get to spend Christmas with someone? Someone you like, no less?"</p><p>Lily looked across the room to where James was laughing with the hotel clerk and thought Marlene maybe had a point.</p><p>"I take it from your silence, you've figured I'm right?"</p><p>Lily exhaled loudly into the speaker.</p><p>"I miss you, Marley."</p><p>"Miss you too. Now, I love you but it's four in morning here. I've got to go."</p><p>"Bye, love," Lily called, just as James approached her, holding a keycard in his hand.</p><p>"Evans," he said, deliberately looking over her shoulder and not at her face. "I'm afraid there's been a terrible mistake. There's only one room left and we'll have to share."</p><p>At the look of horror on Lily's face, James burst out laughing.</p><p>"Gosh, Evans, you are gullible." He produced a second keycard from his room and handed it over to her. "I'm kidding."</p><p>"You arsehole," said Lily, feeling her heart thump wildly in her chest. "You almost gave me a heart attack."</p><p>"Well, consider it my Christmas gift to you," said James, mock-bowing. "Did you speak to Minnie?"</p><p>"Oui," said Lily. "All's good, she said we're to charge our stay to the firm when we get back."</p><p>"Dangerous move," said James, raising an eyebrow. "Tell me, Evans, what's your stance on room service?"</p><p>.</p><p>Two pizzas, three portions of chips, a bad Christmas special of a show they couldn't remember on Lily's phone, and a rather expensive bottle of wine later, and they were sitting in James's room; James cross-legged on the bed and Lily with her back against the foot of the mattress.</p><p>"Absolutely not," James was saying, gesturing wildly to a non-existent audience. "Evans, I'm very sorry but your opinion just isn't valid."</p><p>"It is!" said Lily, almost doubled over with tipsy laughter. "Bonfire Night wipes the floor with New Years. It does!" She added, half indignant, as James very firmly shook his head and promptly collapsed into another round of laughter, which set Lily off even more. "Marshmallows. Hot dogs."</p><p>"Fireworks," James countered, who was making a strong case for New Year's Eve. "Alcohol. Glitter. Glitter, Lily."</p><p>"You could be describing any holiday," said Lily dismissively. "That's the trouble with New Year's. There's nothing original that we do on the 31st that we don't do on another festivity somewhen else." A sudden inspiration struck her. "It's a copycat holiday."</p><p>"Yeah, well, Bonfire Night is celebrating the time a bloke tried to murder a bunch of people," said James. "That's maybe not so great."</p><p>"I think you'll find we celebrate them being stopped," said Lily primly. "Not the assassination attempt, itself. Besides," she added. "There are fireworks at Bonfire Night too. And alcohol. And glitter. And you get the added bonus of a bonfire, marshmallows, and hot dogs."</p><p>"But New Year's is what you look forward to after Christmas," protested James. "Otherwise, it's just cold and wet."</p><p>"Oh, you know I've won," Lily said, giggles wracking her body. "There's no shame in admitting defeat, you know."</p><p>"Evans, I will never, ever admit that Bonfire Night is better than New Year's Eve," said James vehemently, crossing his arms as though that gave his statement more weight.</p><p>"Maybe you've just never had a good Bonfire Night," Lily conceded. "Next year, I'll take you to one, yeah? A big, proper bonfire. Sparklers. Fireworks. All the alcohol you want."</p><p>"Then it's a date," said James and, despite the haze of the sauvignon blanc, he seemed to realise what he'd said and ducked his gaze, running a hand through his hair, momentarily embarrassed. "A friendly date," he hurried to correct. "Um- or, unless you fancied- I didn't mean- uh-"</p><p>"Gosh, all this gabbling wouldn't stand in court," said Lily in mock horror, trying to ease the situation and cool the blush that had sprung to her cheeks. "Potter, are you saying you wouldn't go on a date with me?" She widened her eyes, pretending to be deeply offended. James relaxed in the resumption of their usual banter, slipping back into his easy confidence.</p><p>"Evans, I know you love me but this is obsession is getting out of hand."</p><p>"How very rude. I must go tell all thirty three cut-outs of your head I keep in my room."</p><p>"I actually think I would look quite nice as a cardboard cutout."</p><p>"Don't flatter yourself, Potter."</p><p>"Why not?" said James, grinning in a way that made Lily's head spin and leaning back against the headrest. "Would you rather I flattered you instead?"</p><p>"Smooth-talker," Lily shot back, trying to ignore the pounding of heart beneath her shirt. "Been cured of the gabbling, have you?"</p><p>James gave her a look.</p><p>"Evans, it is not very nice to take advantage of someone's weaknesses."</p><p>"Oh," said Lily, startled. "I'm sorry, I-"</p><p>He broke into a wide grin.</p><p>"Which is why I apologise for taking advantage of your over-politeness and making you feel bad."</p><p>Lily rolled her eyes at him fondly and flung out her arm on the bed as she twisted to rest her head upon it.</p><p>"How long did it take you to come up with that?"</p><p>"On the spot," fibbed James, slumping down on the mattress. "I'm a natural comedian."</p><p>"Well, I do hope you don't say that during murder trials."</p><p>"Only if it comes up in conversation."</p><p>They smiled at each other; Lily shifted, resettling herself and her fingers brushed the edge of James' leg. Flushing for reasons she couldn't discern—she was a grown woman, for fuck's sake, not a giggling schoolgirl anymore—she snatched her hand back and used it as a pillow instead.</p><p>"Is it late?" She asked, yawning. She rubbed her face out of habit before remembering her makeup and groaned inwardly as her palm came back smudged with eyeliner and foundation. James twisted, peering at his phone.</p><p>"Three past midnight. Merry Christmas, Evans."</p><p>"Merry Christmas, Potter," she replied sleepily and forced herself to rouse before she fell asleep on the floor and woke up with a crick in her neck. "Guess I should head to my room, seeing as the firm's paying it for it."</p><p>"Yeah," James echoed softly and Lily could hardly fail to notice the dismay in his voice. "Yeah, I guess you should."</p><p> </p><p>For a moment, they looked at each other and Lily devoured greedily the shape of his face, the cheer lighting up his eyes, the dark hair which refused to lie flat for even McGonagall, and wished he would ask her to stay. Gazing back at her with burning eyes, words that seemed half-formed on his lips, James opened his mouth and then closed it again.</p><p> </p><p>"Well, goodnight," he said finally. Something warm and metallic hit the back of Lily's throat; she realised she'd bitten her tongue.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh!" She said. "Oh- yes, yes. Goodnight." Smiling at him a little more warmly than was strictly necessary and telling her heart to calm the fuck down and stop being disappointed, she reached for her bag and left the room.</p><p>.</p><p>She couldn't sleep.</p><p>That wasn't unusual; Lily often had trouble sleeping, had since her parents died. When at home, she would usually stick on a rerun of something calming, relaxing—something she used to watch with her mum. But Lily hadn't been able to figure out the buttons on the foreign TV remote and certainly wasn't going to disrupt a staff member at two in the morning just so she could watch Would I Lie to You. Instead, she twisted in her sheets restlessly, staring up at the ceiling and the fancy chandelier. She wondered briefly if it was real crystal.</p><p>Exhaling loudly into the silent night air, Lily pushed herself up on her pillows, fiddling with the bottom of her plait. Christmas was always a hard time of year, at least since her parents had passed. Her childhood Christmases had taken on almost legendary status in the years which she'd been without them; if she screwed up her eyes, she could still feel the excitement coursing through her veins as she waited eagerly on Christmas Eve, could hear her mum and dad laugh as they fought fondly over the last slice of Christmas cake. They had lights too, similar to the ones James' had described earlier. A tree in the living room which they'd all help decorate and then Lily would have everyone chose their favourite ornament and they'd debate warmly which should have pride of place at the top. Lily hadn't even gotten a tree this year.</p><p>Make no mistake, she didn't enjoy being a Grinch. She wouldn't even describe herself as one; she got into the Christmas spirit as good as anyone; wove tinsel into her plaits and sang cheesy Christmas songs on the way to work. Ate mince pies in the break room during lunch and watched Home Alone on the 1st of December, as was tradition every year. But this Christmas, when she'd heard her friends would be away and then she'd got that damn message from Petunia—</p><p>There was a quiet knock at the door. So quiet that Lily assumed she had just imagined it, until it came again.</p><p>"Who is it?" She called in a low voice, expecting the hotel clerk with a message from Minerva who seemed to work all hours of every day.</p><p>"It's me," replied James and Lily jolted, startled. "Are you awake?"</p><p>"No, I'm just having a conversation with you," Lily said, feeling the corners of her mouth curve upwards into smile. "Do you want to come in?"</p><p>"Would you mind?"</p><p>Lily was halfway to the door when she remembered she was only in her underwear—having not planned to spend more than a day here, she hadn't brought an overnight bag. Grabbing her shirt and pulling it over her head and yanking her skirt over her hips, she hurried to the door, easing it open as do not to disturb the other guests and beckoned James in.</p><p>He looked as though he hadn't slept either. Dark circles framed his eyes and he yawned as he stood in front of her, pulling the hotel dressing gown he'd donned tighter around his waist.</p><p>"Hope I didn't wake you," he said, offering her a sheepish smile. "It's just, I couldn't manage to fall asleep and I kept thinking, I really should've asked you to-"</p><p>"It's okay," Lily smiled. "I couldn't sleep either."</p><p>"It's the hotel, you reckon?" said James. "Too fancy for the likes of us?"</p><p>"James, your parents have an east wing."</p><p>"Key emphasis on my parents," reminded James. "I live in a small flat with three blokes." At the mention of them, he went oddly quiet.</p><p>"What's wrong?" Lily asked, falling back onto the bed and settling herself into a cross-legged position. "Are you okay?"</p><p>James sank onto the sofa.</p><p>"You're going to laugh if I tell you," he said, raising his eyebrows.</p><p>"Why would I do that?"</p><p>Leaning back against the back of the sofa, James said, "I get a bit- homesick sometimes in places like this. Dont get me wrong, the place is great and I don't want to sound ungrateful but- well, I'm used to noise. Company. I live with three other blokes. You never have a minute alone." He grinned. "I know that's not everyone's cup of tea," he went on. "But it's comforting to me. Even just listening to the London traffic outside. I can't sleep when it's silent like this. I don't know," he chuckled quietly. "I know it sounds stupid—"</p><p>"It doesn't," Lily interjected softly. "James, not at all. I get it. I really do. I live alone," she added. "But I hate the silence. I'll always have the TV on or music playing on my phone when I'm home by myself." She shrugged. "Our house was never quiet growing up. Guess I just can't quite get used to the silence."</p><p>"You couldn't figure out the remote either, could you?" said James, nodding to the TV. Lily smiled.</p><p>"Don't call me out like that."</p><p>"Want some company?" James asked. "For the silence?"</p><p>"I'd love it," Lily replied and James seemed unable to take his eyes off her. After a moment, he cleared his throat and blinked.<br/>"The sofa—do you mind if I take it?"</p><p>"Well," said Lily coyly; she figured one of them ought to ask, it would only be polite after all. "There's enough room here for us both, if- if you wanted?" She indicated the bed, shifting over to one side to show she was serious.</p><p>"Evans, that is incredibly presumptuous," said James, mock-aghast. In the dimly lit gloom, she couldn't tell whether or not he was blushing.</p><p>"Potter," said Lily, fixing him with her sternest look, as though her intent had purely platonic the entire time. "We're adults. I think we can manage to share a bed without being afraid of catching cooties."</p><p>"Sure, Evans. But how do I know you're not hopelessly in love with me?"</p><p>Lily met his eyes and resisted to urge to kiss him.</p><p>"You'll just have to trust me," she said and that seemed to settle the matter. James winked, hopped off the sofa and into his side of the bed and Lily reached to switch out the light.</p><p>It was more awkward than she'd expected; far from the flirty, intimate experience she'd anticipated, all she could think was that she was lying a foot away from the bloke she worked one desk away from at work. A deep flush flared in her cheeks as she imagined work the following week, knowing he was half-naked beside her now.</p><p>"Evans?" James interrupted her thoughts; she turned to face him.</p><p>"Mmm?"</p><p>"Do you think maybe we shouldn't tell the others about this?" There was a teasing lilt in his voice.</p><p>"I think maybe we should not," Lily agreed, fluffing the duvet over her stomach. After a moment, James spoke again, out of the darkness.</p><p>"I'm glad I'm here with you."</p><p>Warmth ignited inside Lily; she swallowed hard to keep herself from grinning like a lunatic.</p><p>"Me too," she said and shifted slightly closer toward him.</p><p>"I know it's not the Christmas we were both expecting," James continued. "But, at least we're here together. Imagine the horror if I'd been sent with Snape."</p><p>"Duly horrifying," Lily assured him. "I'm sorry you won't get your family Christmas."</p><p>"It's okay," James said. "At least they'll have even teams for charades now. And you won't be on your own for Christmas." He gave her a broad smile.</p><p>Lily felt the corners of her lips tilting up.<br/>"Yeah, I was a bit downhearted about Christmas Day before, if I'm being honest."</p><p>There was a pause.</p><p>"I asked to go to my sister's, actually," she said suddenly, surprisingly even herself. "I thought we could spend Christmas together like we used to."</p><p>"Oh?" James sounded concerned. "Was she away too?"</p><p>"No," Lily snorted so that James wouldn't see the tears forming in her eyes. "Bet she wishes she was. At least then she would've had a good excuse."</p><p>"What do you mean?"</p><p>"She wrote me a letter. An actual letter, like I wasn't just a phone call away. She said her husband's family was round and she'd rather a small Christmas. She said she hoped I understood, though, so, you know, it's totally okay." Sarcasm dripped from Lily's words.</p><p>"Lily-"</p><p>"Sorry," she said, furiously wiping her eyes. "I'm not trying to make your Christmas miserable. It's just- God, it's like she wants nothing to do with me."</p><p>James reached across and gripped her hand, squeezing it tight.</p><p>"I'm so sorry," he said. "She's mad not to want to see you. You'd have to be mad not to." Imitating their conversation from earlier, he went on, "Next year, I'll invite you to mine for Christmas, yeah? It'll be a big, proper one. All the trimmings. We'll be able to have even teams for charades. It'll be brilliant."</p><p>Lily smiled and squeezed his hand back.</p><p>"Aren't I lucky to have been stuck here with you, Potter?"</p><p>"I don't know, Evans. I think I'm pretty lucky to be stuck here with you."</p><p>.</p><p>Lily woke early the next morning, despite her late night, and found herself dangerously close to James' face, their hands still clasped together. Easing herself gently from the bed as so not to wake James, she padded into the bathroom. Cleaned up, fixed her makeup, and got to work.</p><p>When James stirred half an hour later, she was standing at the foot of the bed, a garland of tinsel threaded in her hair, clutching a breakfast tray.</p><p>"Ta-da!" she said in a singsong voice. James stared at her, a faint grin forming on his lips.</p><p>"Have I woken up in a musical?" He enquired politely. "I do hope it's not Cats."</p><p>"Breakfast," Lily answered, setting the tray down upon the bed. Touching the tinsel in her hair, she added, "I thought we'd best get in the Christmas spirit." She threw a spare garland at James, who looped it around his neck immediately.</p><p>They passed a happy hour in the room, eating croissants with apricot jam, bacon in crusty bread rolls, drinking freshly squeezed orange juice, coffee with lots of sugar and milk.</p><p>"We should get Minnie to book our Christmas do here next year," remarked James as he bit into his third croissant. "God, I think I'm in love."</p><p>"If you're going to fall in love with a pastry, at least do the decent thing and let it be a Danish," said Lily, relaxing against the headboard and sipping her coffee. "Maybe it's controversial, but nobody would like croissants if there wasn't any jam."</p><p>"There'll be an angry mob on your doorstep if you let Dorcas hear that." James said, proving Lily's point entirely by proceeding to drown his croissant in jam.</p><p>"I can't help that I speak the truth," replied Lily, smothering her laughter. "Sometimes, the truth hurts."</p><p>"Evans, I just think you've never had a good croissant," said James, dunking the remaining half in jam and offering it to Lily.<br/>She ate it. It was lovely, but not a patch on her beloved Danishes.</p><p>.</p><p>"Snow angels," said James very firmly, once they'd finished up with food.</p><p>"What about them?"</p><p>"Well, Evans," James began sarcastically. "I'm not sure if you're aware but it's snowing outside."</p><p>"Gosh, really?"</p><p>"Lily, it is our duty as Londoners who never have snow at Christmas to go and make the most of it. We must make a snow angel for every person at the firm."</p><p>"James, that's over two hundred people."</p><p>"Well, we'd best get started then, hadn't we?"</p><p>"Are you serious?" Lily felt a surge of excitement course through her. She hadn't made a snow angel in years.</p><p>"Serious as Minnie on a Monday," said James. "I saw your face yesterday. You've been dying to get out in the snow ever since we got here."</p><p>"Yes, I didn't think it would be appropriate to challenge Celia to a snowball fight during our coffee break." Lily replied, rocking back and forward on her heels in anticipation. "However, it is entirely appropriate to challenge you."</p><p>She flicked her woollen glove at him. James caught it, grinning as both of their eyes narrowed.</p><p>"Challenge accepted, Evans," he said.</p><p>.</p><p>The cold was bitingly so, cutting into Lily's core. She paused to button up her coat tighter and be sure her gloves were properly secured. A harsh gust of icy wind slapped her in the face and she recoiled, exhaling what appeared to be solid ice particles.</p><p>"Not sure I'm wearing the suitable wardrobe for this," began James as he stumbled behind her, his fancy black suit stretching taunt against the bracing breeze. "Evans," he went on melodramatically, catching her eye and winking, "do you know, this is my only nice suit? Minnie's going to murder me if I ruin it."</p><p>"You call that nice?" She replied, just to be irritating, grinning. "Are you just trying to get out of snowballing? Afraid you'll lose?"</p><p>"Evans, I never lose," said James, determinedly zipping up his parka. "Just wanted to remind you to look out for my bill when you ruin my one and only nice suit." The tenacity in his voice was somewhat ruined by the two bobbles dangling from either side of his winter hat.</p><p>A well-dressed couple out on a mid-morning stroll nodded their heads towards Lily and James, eyebrows raising when they saw Lily scoop down to gather a ball of snow in her hands.</p><p>"Merry Christmas," Lily called, straightening up and patting the snow into a neat clump. "Just getting some target practice in." She aimed chucking the snowball. Evidently, she either had no accurate sense of humour or the couple had never known true Christmas joy as her joke soared over their heads and they backed away. Lily was inclined to believe it was the latter.</p><p>"It's okay," she said, shrugging to James. "They think we're childish."</p><p>"Are we?"</p><p>The snowball slammed into his hat. Lily grinned.</p><p>"I don't know, Potter. You tell me."</p><p>Before she could say anything else, a clump of snow collided with her torso, exploding over her coat like white confetti. She caught James' eye, who laughed and ducked behind a pine tree, already reloading for his next shot.</p><p>Oh, it is on, Lily thought, falling to her knees and gathering snow into little piles in front of her. Peering up at James, she saw his strategy appeared to be somewhat different: accumulating as much snow as physically possible and piling it up to form the biggest snowball she'd ever seen. She snorted. No way was he going to be able to lift that. She reached down, picked up two of her snowballs and took aim at James' turned back. One missed, whizzing spectacularly into the pine tree but the other hit him right in the back of his neck, sending snow spilling down the back of his shirt. He yelped and turned to her with a mixture of astonishment and mirth as he leapt further behind the tree trunk. She followed, laughter bubbling up through her lips and cradling snowballs in her arms like a protective mama bird, as she stalked round the base of the trunk, to where she was sure James was waiting—</p><p>Thunk.</p><p>Snow exploded over her head, coating her face and hair in white flakes. Spluttering, she blew some out her mouth.</p><p>"Oh," said James, appearing suddenly in her peripheral vision. "Evans, are you alright? Sorry, that wasn't mean to travel so far—"</p><p>Lily, who was sure she resembled some form of the abominable snowman; some of the snow having shifted to cover her coat, her legs, her feet; launched herself at James, laughing and grabbed the sleeve of his coat as he sprang backwards and into the tree. They found themselves in an awkwardly tight situation, with James leaning amusedly against the tree trunk and Lily practically pressed up against him, in her efforts to pelt him with more snowballs. She looked around for said snowballs, but they seemed to have been dropped and were now indistinguishable from the thick snow blanketing the ground.</p><p>"All out of ammo?" said James, smirking in a way that had an irritating habit of causing Lily to fall a bit more in love with him. "And what exactly is the plan now?"</p><p>Lily looked back at him, her smile bright and eyes wide, and as their gaze locked, she thought she could almost hear the violins of some cheesy romance film swelling in the background. She groaned inwardly. Marlene would never let her live what was about to happen down.</p><p>"Potter," she said, taking very heavy breaths as she fought to control her nerves. "I think—I think I might maybe fancy you."</p><p>James' smile split wide-open.</p><p>"Who's gabbling now?" He teased, as he gently reached for her hand. "Good thing, Evans, as it turns out, I fancy you too."</p><p>He winked at her and Lily's stomach began cartwheeling.</p><p>"And what happens now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow suggestively. Lily echoed the gesture.</p><p>"This," she said softly and she leant in toward his face.</p><p>James' lips met her and stars ignited in her head; he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer just as the soft patter of snow began to rain down upon them once more.</p><p>"Well, that was certainly a better Christmas present than socks," James whispered, drawing in heavy breaths as his hands cupped her chin. Leaning in, he kissed her once more. Giddy with cheer, Lily laughed, pressing her forehead to his, feeling the pounding of his heart beneath her hands on his chest.</p><p>"Merry Christmas, Potter."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you enjoyed! I've grown quite attached to this version of James &amp; Lily and their dynamic at work so might expand on this universe at some point in the future. Let me know what you think! Thank you so much for reading! </p><p>Wishing everybody a brighter, better 2021 and, if anybody celebrates any holidays around this period, I hope they were happy, safe celebrations! Sending love, laughter, and hope to you all for the New Year. </p><p>—Yaz xx</p></blockquote></div></div>
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